Veerappan’s brother hospitalised in Kovai

Mathaiyan (72) complained of sudden breathlessness in the jail and was admitted in the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) in the morning. He was first administered first aid in the prison hospital and then taken to CMCH for treatment. He was suffering from age-related ailments and was undergoing treatment in the prison hospital. 

A fast track court at Gobichettipalayam in Erode district sentenced Mathaiyan to life imprisonment for killing a Forest Department official in the forest area in 1991. He has been serving his term since 1993 at the Central Prison here. 

Meanwhile, S Balamurugan, State Secretary of People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Tamil Nadu, urged the state government to release Mathaiyan as he had been languishing in prison for over 25 years.   

“While life term prisoners are released in 14 years, Mathaiyan has already spent three years as an undertrial and 22 years as a convict in jail,” he said. 

Family members of Mathaiyan had moved the Supreme Court in October last year praying for his release. The Supreme Court had then directed the Tamil Nadu government to decide on his release. However, the state government failed to take efforts for his remission.